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Samuel Merritt University welcomes the opportunity to help you learn more about our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. The ABSN program is our 12 month nursing program for students with a baccalaureate in a non-nursing field. Please see the information below to learn more about applying to the ABSN program.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A 3-DAY SUMMER SEMINAR FOR ABSN STUDENTS

Underrepresented students (African American, Hispanic/Latino and male) are invited to participate in a 3-day summer program, Nursing Success! Seminar. Please click here for more information.

Applications are closed for Spring 2015, San Francisco Peninsula Learning Center, San Mateo. You are encouraged to apply for a subsequent ABSN term. The next deadline for applications is 9/1/14 for programs that start in April, May and June 2015. For a timeline of the application and admission process for spring 2015, please click here.

IMPORTANT UPDATES TO CAMPUS LOCATIONS

Please note that effective with the April 2012 cohort, the San Francisco Learning Center will merge with the San Mateo Learning Center. However for the April and November cohorts, the clinical options will remain in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Summer admission:April - Classes will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered primarily at healthcare facilities in San Francisco.May - Classes will be taught in Oakland, and clinicals will be offered in the greater East Bay Area.June - Classes will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered in the greater South Bay Area.

Fall admission:November - Classes will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered primarily at healthcare facilities in San Francisco.

Spring admission:January - Classes will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered in the greater South Bay AreaJanuary - Classes will be taught in Sacramento, and clinicals will be offered in the greater Sacramento Area.

Learn more about the ABSN program:

Virtual Drop-Ins Now Available - Join an ABSN chat room onlineWe are pleased to offer virtual drop ins to prospective ABSN students. You are welcome to virtually “drop in” and ask quick, general questions of an Admission Counselor. This is entirely online. Dates and times are:

February 10, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

February 19, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

February 23, 2015, 11-noon

March 4, 2015, 4-5 p.m.

March 13, 2015, 9-10 a.m.

March 17, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

March 24, 2015, 11-noon

April 2, 2015, 4-5 p.m.

April 7, 2015, 9-10 a.m.

April 15, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

April 20, 2015, 4-5 p.m.

April 30, 2015, 11-noon

May 6, 2015, 11-noon

May 15, 2015, 4-5 p.m.

May 20, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

May 28, 2015, 1-2 p.m.

Summer 2015: dates to be determined.

Please note that all times are Pacific Standard Time (California time zone).

Drop-In Counseling (Oakland only) If you have a quick question or just need to know one or two things, drop-in counseling may be perfect for your busy schedule. No appointment is needed. Drop-in counseling is available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. These are brief visits designed to provide you with some quick information. Drop-in counseling is not available during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's.

Counseling Appointments – Oakland, Sacramento and San Mateo

We look forward to welcoming you to our campuses in Oakland, Sacramento and San Mateo.

Oakland - Appointments are available weekdays, during regular business hours. These appointments are usually 30 minutes in length and the main purpose is to review your transcripts for prerequisites. Please bring unofficial or official transcripts with you to the appointment. Please call 510.869.6576 to schedule your counseling appointment.

Sacramento - Information Sessions will be held at the Sacramento Campus. At the session a general overview of the program will be discussed, all of your questions will be answered, and a tour of the campus will be available. If you would like your transcripts reviewed, please bring unofficial or official transcripts with you to the session. They will be collected and a prerequisite review will be emailed to you. Please click here for upcoming dates for information sessions.

San Francisco Peninsula Campus in San Mateo – Information Sessions will be held on Fridays from 10am-12pm. At the session a general over view of the program will be discussed, all of your questions will be answered, and a tour of the campus will be available. If you would like your transcripts reviewed, please bring unofficial or official transcripts with you to the session. They will be collected and a prerequisite review will be emailed to you. Please click here for upcoming dates for information sessions.

Please join us for an ABSN Information Session. The prerequisite and financial aid information provided is common to all campuses that offer the ABSN program. So please join us whether you are interested in applying to the campus locations in Sacramento, Oakland or San Mateo. Because of limited time there will not be the opportunity to ask individual, specific questions, but you are encouraged to make an individual counseling appointment for a future date where those questions can be answered and transcripts can be reviewed for prerequisites.

Oakland campus:Please park in the parking structure, not the parking lot of Building B on the parking mapPayment is by cash or personal check only. There is no convenient ATM.The Information Session covers the ABSN program only.

Please arrive on time for the Information Session as the room on the 4th floor is in a secured area and requires a key card to gain access. There will be a staff person to let you in to the secured area on the 4th floor 15 minutes prior to the start time of the event. If you arrive late, you will need to see the Campus Service Center on the 1st floor of the building and ask them to assist you with gaining access to the 4th floor room.

San Francisco Peninsula Learning Center, San MateoParking is free and plentiful, adjacent to the building.The Information Session covers the ABSN program only.

Sacramento Regional Learning CenterThe Information Session covers the ABSN and ELMSN program only.Parking is free and plentiful, adjacent to the building. No RSVP is required.

Admission StatisticsAdmission Statistics about all of SMU's programs are available on our statistics at a glance website.

*Spring Entry

SacramentoApplication Deadline: July 1Start of Program: JanuaryClasses will be taught in Sacramento, and clinicals will be offered in the greater Sacramento Area.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fall term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

San MateoApplication Deadline: July 1Start of Program: JanuaryClasses will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered in the greater South Bay Area.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fall term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

*Summer Entry

San MateoApplication Deadline: September 1Start of Program: AprilClasses will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered primarily at healthcare facilities in San Francisco.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fall term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

OaklandApplication Deadline: September 1Start of Program: MayClasses will be taught in Oakland, and clinicals will be offered in the greater East Bay Area.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fall term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

San MateoApplication Deadline September 1Start of Program: JuneClasses will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered in the greater South Bay Area.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

Fall Entry

San MateoApplication Deadline: March 1Start of Program: NovemberClasses will be taught in San Mateo, and clinicals will be offered primarily at healthcare facilities in San Francisco.All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the summer term.However, it is highly recommended and preference in admission willbe given to applicants who have all prerequisites completed by theapplication deadline.

The dates listed above are considered postmark deadlines. Applications may be filed beginning two months prior to the application deadline, keeping in mind that it is to your advantage to include as many available grades as possible with the application for admission. For example, with the postmark deadline of March 1 for fall entry for San Mateo, you should wait to submit an application until your fall grades are available.

*Please submit only ONE application for your first choice campus if applying for the spring or summer ABSN admission cycle.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Completion of baccalaureate and all prerequisites by the designated prerequisite deadline for the term for which you are applying from a regionally accredited institution.

Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units

Minimum science GPA (science prerequisites only) of 3.0 or higher

Letters of reference - Two letters are required and should address academic preparedness for study in an intensive program and potential as a nurse. Suggested references are professors, supervisors, or health care professionals (strongly preferred) who know you well through volunteer or paid work experiences. All required letters of reference should be submitted with your application for admission.

Writing Sample - Three distinct writing samples are required as explained on the application for admission.

Basic computer word processing skills

CPR - certification at the healthcare provider level, earned prior to the start of classes from the American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org.

If you have attended a nursing program at another college or university, a statement explaining your reasons for seeking a transfer will be required. Additionally, a letter from the Dean or Director of your nursing program indicating that you are in good standing and eligible for continued enrollment in the nursing program will be required. This letter should be submitted with your application for admission.

TOEFL (U.S. citizens or international students) - The need for TOEFL will be assessed based on information provided on the application for admission; if required, a score of 100 must be achieved and official score results must be provided, www.toefl.org

Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). The TEAS is used as one of several important factors in determining admission and is required for all applicants to the ABSN program by the deadline date for applications. It is highly suggested that your scores meet or exceed the national score averages for your particular TEAS exam. These national score averages are posted on the transcript that have your TEAS score results that you receive from ATI.

Your classes do not expire. However if your science prerequisites were taken more than 5 years ago it is recommended that you take a refresher course unless you are currently working within the healthcare field.

Prerequisites must be completed with a grade of "C-" or above.

The prerequisites listed in the table below must be completed by the stated deadlines.

Prerequisite Course Equivalencies At California Community Colleges And Other Course Resources

GPA's are calculated with the grades available at the time of application

If a course has been repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the GPA

Science GPA is calculated using the four prerequisite science lab courses: Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology and Chemistry

International Students and Transcripts

Please note that internationalstudents can only be admitted to study on the Oakland campus. We are unable to administer student visas at our Sacramento and San Mateo campuses. All foreign academic transcripts must be evaluated by a U.S. evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluations Services (NACES) for degree, course content, semester unit equivalencies, and science and cumulative GPAs prior to the application deadline. Information on NACES may be found at www.naces.org.

Challenge Examinations

Effective June 2014 challenge examinations from Excelsior College will no longer be accepted. Challenge examinations from other institutions without prior approval from the School of Nursing will not be accepted. Please note, that taking a challenge examination in substitution for a course will not be accepted.

*These courses are often taught at Samuel Merritt University fall, spring and summer terms. They are designed for prospective students; you will find the information regarding the upcoming courses here: SMU Special Status Courses.